


echoes

by Leocht (mayibetriumphant)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Multi chapter but the site won’t let me changed the settings, basically anakin is a busybody and obi is deeply private, character tags to be added as i go, which is bad for both of them and several others
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2020-04-24 12:13:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19173055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mayibetriumphant/pseuds/Leocht
Summary: The arrival of a stranger turns Anakin's world-view on its head.





	echoes

**Author's Note:**

> I busted this idea out in about three hours.

"And I am always reminded of lies  
That we told, but never meant  
And at night when I still hear you grin  
Like an echo sounding from my sins  
Come on, let me in"

-Echoes, Radical Face

* * *

 

“No, Anakin. I don’t know who this...Lakshmi is, but she’s absolutely not that youngling’s mother.”   
“You don’t know that! And she wants to know him, Obi-Wan. You don’t know if this is his last chance--”

He glowers when Obi-Wan simply ducks under his arm to get into his apartment.   
“I understand your personal feelings about mothers and such, but there’s no need to break that boy’s heart.”   
“Because the Council will keep them apart? You’re on the Council, and I could talk to the Chancellor!”   
Obi-Wan pinches the bridge of his nose. He doesn’t need his excitement on top of everything else he’s having to deal with. He needs something warm to drink. “Do you have nowhere else to be, Anakin?”

“Nope. Why are you so convinced that she isn’t his mother?”   
“Because  _ I  _ am his father, and I am  _ telling  _ you that I’ve never seen that woman before in my life!”

Anakin, despite being much larger and confident in his ability to take his brother in a fight, shrinks back. He doesn’t  _ yell  _ at him.    
“...you’re what?”   
“You’re dense, but you’re not stupid, Anakin. I know you heard me.”   
“But you always said--”   
“Said what? You think your little affair with Padme has just flown under my radar this whole time?”   
He balks. “You never said anything.”   
“And why would I?”

The older man rolls his eyes. “I would bet my stipend that a third of your classmates have Jedi parents.”

“I thought it was just Ferus?” Anakin tries and fails to block him from his mission in the kitchenette. Obi-Wan simply floats his tea of choice out of the cabinet with the Force.   
“He’s the only one you know of, and that’s because he told you. Not that it matters, since Knight Labooda is gone, anyway.”

“Is  _ she  _ Caleb’s mother?”   
“Twelve years ago, I was 25 and she was...in her thirties.”   
“You can just say no. Seriously--you being so cryptic has never once been helpful. And obviously, I don’t know what your type is.” He gives up and sinks into Obi-Wan’s chair, just to bother him when he wants to sit down later.

The only sound in the apartment for a few moments is the tapping of his foot. He’s thinking about something. “...she doesn’t know that. If she did, she would’ve brought it up.” Obi-Wan mutters.

“I really feel like you owe me an explanation.” Anakin calls back.   
“I don’t ‘owe’ you anything with regard to this, Anakin. I’m not kidding at all when I say I will drag you down with Padme if you breathe a word of this conversation to that boy.”   
“First of all--I’d like to see you try, and you’ll get up close and personal with the sparky end of my saber if you ever threaten Padme again. Second, what is your deal? Why don’t you care about your own son? Is he your only kid?”   
Obi-Wan snorts. “I should get Ahsoka to ask you about your private life. See how comfortable you are during that conversation.”   
“There’s nothing private about an entire child.”

“Perhaps you’re right, but I order you to leave him be.”   
“ _ Order _ ? You’re  _ ordering  _ me?”   
“Caleb Dume is not under any circumstances to know of this pretender, Anakin. Are we crystal clear? I’m not afraid to have you censured.”   
“Fine. I won’t say anything.”   
“Good. Thank you, Anakin.”

Anakin gives him a poisonous glare and stalks off, but not before swiping his ID card. He won’t miss it if he doesn’t leave and try to come back to his room anytime soon. He shrugs off the brief pang of guilt. It’s what Obi-Wan would do too. Or he thinks so, anyway.

* * *

 

Hours later, Anakin is still seated firmly in front of a computer terminal in the archives. He can’t ask for help, since he’s technically committing a crime, so he’s stuck. He’s seen Obi-Wan’s personal file, which wasn’t any help. Neither he or his parents were Dumes, Caleb’s record is very firmly sealed, and there’s not a single record of another member with his last name in the last 300 years. He checked just in case.  
It's past exam season, and all the Initiates and younglings are in bed. He's almost perfectly alone, save for the cleaning droids.

“Having trouble there?”

Anakin almost jumps out of his skin before he realizes who it is. “Master Vos!” At least he won’t rat on him.

“This looks illegal. And if not, just plain invasive.”

“But you won’t say anything. You practically live to annoy Obi-Wan.”   
“That’s absolutely an exaggeration, and depending on what this is, it might just be too far. Explain.”

\---

“Ma’am, if you don’t have an appointment with the Council, we cannot simply allow you to pass.”

“But I need to speak to someone, I--”   
“What’s going on?”   
“Master Skywalker!” She starts forward, but the guards tighten their ranks. “Master Skywalker, I need an audience with the Council! I-I have reason to believe my son was inducted into the Order without my knowledge or consent.”   
“...that’s not how things work here.”

She digs in her pocket for a holodisc. “I was sent this portrait of him just a few weeks ago. 

The taller of the guards, a Pau’an, cocks his head. There is certainly a striking resemblance between her and the youngling. They share the same blue eyes, and curly hair.

“What’s your name?”   
“Lakshmi Dey. I’ve come all the way from Chandrila, please don’t just send me away.”

“Is she armed?”   
“No, sir.”   
“Then I can escort her to the Council. They’re in session anyway.” It’s an emergency meeting, but over what, he doesn’t know. Just that they’re all there.

“Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!”

* * *

"And then we--"

Quinlan holds up a hand to stop Anakin’s story. “You interrupted an emergency session for some crazy woman claiming we nabbed her baby?”

“She had a picture!”   
Obi-Wan has made many claims as to his apprentice’s intelligence, but sometimes Quinlan sorely doubts him.

“There’s legal ways to gain access to him that she could’ve tried.”   
“But the government would just delay it!”   
“Then introduce her to your girlfriend.”   
“She’s not--”

“I’ve been unfortunate enough to touch some things you’ve left lying about.”   
“Oh, sorry.”   
“Honestly, you should be.”

They both shudder.

“Obi-Wan’s pissed, but he seemed agitated before I even brought her. What was the meeting about?”   
“Deep’s in a coma.”   
“Deep?”   
“Master Billaba. She taught your remedials.”   
“Oh! Really?” He vaguely remembers her being very warm in the Force. “What happened?”   
“She’s another casualty of the war. Nothing special anymore.” It hurts to even think that, but everyone who’s died the past few years was special to someone.   
“Were the three of you close?”   
“Yeah, why?”

Anakin pulls up her personnel file and swipes it to sit next to Obi-Wan’s. “Bingo.”

The shape of her face and the color of her hair is much more similar to Caleb’s, but she and Lakshmi look enough alike that it would be tough to tell whose son he was if they were together.

Something on Quinlan’s face tells him he isn’t particularly surprised.

“Is  _ she  _ his mother?”

The Kiffar man rocks back and forth on his chair in thought. “It’s strange.”   
“Huh?”   
“He’s been here since he was an infant. This woman has had years to come get him back, but doesn’t show up until months before he’s locked into the Order almost permanently.”   
“Well, yeah.”   
“Nothing seems odd to you about her arriving here, laying claim to the child of two prominent Jedi, just weeks after his mother goes comatose, and a few weeks before you and your Master get shipped out to Wild Space for a month?”   
“A simple DNA test could prove her wrong.”   
“Someone is working with her. There’s no other reason she, a civilian would have access to his ID photos. I’d proceed with caution if you insist on meddling in Obi-Wan’s business. You might find out something you don’t like.”   
“I already found out he had a secret kid.”   
“There’s always been rumors. Those never bothered you, did they?”   
“No, because I knew he was a good Jedi!” He stands up quickly and saves his reading to a thumbdrive. “You’re not going to help. I’m getting to the bottom of all this.”   
“What good will knowing who his parents are do him? A madwoman and womanizer for parents? Sounds like it’ll be great for his self-esteem.”   
“He’s not like that.”   
“A 12 year old boy won’t know that, Anakin. He’ll be subjected to rumors, and be heartbroken and disillusioned if Kenobi doesn’t take him on. If you want that on your conscience, then you go right ahead--it’s not in my power to stop you.”

Anakin pauses, but only briefly. “You’re right, it’s not.” 

But if another child doesn't have to suffer the way he did, not knowing anything about his own blood, he won't allow it.

 


End file.
